


He Walks Among Us

by QuietMadness



Series: He Walks Among Us [1]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Awkward Friendship, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Game(s), clash of personalities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-09-16 01:14:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9267209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietMadness/pseuds/QuietMadness
Summary: What happens when the Outsider is pulled out of the Void and left without his abilities?





	1. A Mark Misplaced

Chapter One: A Mark Misplaced

Grey enveloped his surroundings. It is always grey here, what some would call a monotonous tone that is only broken up when the the spark of someone interesting briefly flares. And off into the distance, past the jagged floating island he was lounging upside down beneath, the bright familiar pulse catches his attention. It has been so long since he has dealt in anything other than the vague whispers that reach him in the Void he cannot help but feel a small stutter of excitement. Just as he is about to pursue, a sound he has never heard in the Void rings out.  
A deep rumble reverberates through the air, followed by a splintering not unlike that of wood. The Outsider turned his gaze toward the sound as angry, hushed words began assaulting his ears in earnest.  
“This isn’t working! I told you we needed more time to prepare!”  
“Silence your tongue, there was definitely a change in the barrier that time. There! Do you feel that? Gather yourself and let’s try again.”  
The Outsider made his way toward the voices, the first distraction forgotten. As he neared them, the rumble grew, and the Void itself seemed to grow thicker, as if attempting to keep him from this new experience. Were there humans, attempting to enter the Void, his Void, on their own? This was a level of gall he simply had to see for himself. He pushed back against the viscous shadows, his curiosity a demand he could not disobey. Reaching where the rumble was the loudest, he placed his ear close to the sound of scratching. It silenced, as a mouse would cease when it sensed a predator nearby. His bone white hand reached out and gently pushed.  
A thunderous crack rang out, so loud it left a strange sensation in his lifeless jaw. There was a brief silence, and then a human body pushed through a now gaping chasm in the Void. It fell instantly to the never ending depths below, but there was already another behind it. Guttural tones shaped words he had not heard for millennia, more forgotten than he remembered. Instantly a solid island appeared beneath the human’s feet on command.  
Black lifeless eyes stare into wide grey ones for a moment before more words are screamed. The Outsider could feel the beginning of mirth in his chest, much to his surprise. It died when he realized that the man in front of him was wielding powerful magic. Magic directed at him. A heated sensation slashed across his chest, the echo of something he had no name for, perhaps from his mortal life? Pain.  
More bodies were pouring through, each adding their voice and to the profane spell tormenting him. The sensation seemed to be robbing him of his senses. The Void pulled at him then, and his form disappeared into a whirl of smoke. He barreled back past his favored island, the Void drawing him instead toward that other flicker that had caught his interest earlier.  
“He is getting away!”  
“There! I can sense him! Dougal the spell! Cast it now!”  
Just as the Outsider reached the beckoning pulse, pain like he had never experienced engulfed his body, setting him aflame in horrific sensation. He focused on that spark that had drawn his attention as the Void pushed him further. There was another, deep sickening sensation that churned in his stomach before he was pushed into the corporeal world. Behind him the Void grew cold. Just as he saw shapes from the known, yet unfamiliar plane come into view, he felt the connection that had sustained him for over 4,000 years snap and abandon him. He only had a brief second to let a keening cry escape him at the loss before he connected with something and faded into a weak imitation of the Void he already missed desperately.

***  
Eris adored the rain. While most in Morley would curse the sky and pull the hoods on their jackets closer to their faces, she would push hers back and allow the rain to soak into her skin. She did not, however, appreciate how slick it was making the outcropping of rocks where her fingers were searching for a handhold.  
“Fifteen more feet, I can do this.”  
The last piece of blood oxen jerky in her pack was riding on her getting to the top first. Ignoring the burn in her shoulders and across her back, she scrambled for purchase, preparing a small sigh of victory as she pulled herself over the edge. It changed into a groan as she found herself face to face with the large muzzle of an overgrown white wolfhound.  
“Ugh Timid. Not fair.”  
His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth as he pulled his chops up in his approximation of a grin. Even by Tyvian standards, her wolfhound was of monstrous proportions. His haunches reached her elbow, and amber eyes met hers when they faced one another. Yet they moved together as comfortably as two human companions would, him kneeling so she could grasp his thick fur to assist her tired body in standing upright. Retrieving the jerky from her pack after a nudge from his wide head, she surveyed their destination.  
Before them a gaping cave yawned out of the earth. A musty odor reached them that was even damper smelling than the rain soaked surroundings. Eris groused to herself internally, cursing the amount of caves that adorned the craggy hillsides north of Alba. They were at least a week’s trek away from the city, deep in unpopulated territory. She would have to hunt for their meals soon unless they happened upon a traveling merchant. And today’s remaining sunlight was fading fast.  
“Let this one be the correct cave.”  
Gesturing with a hand motion to Timid to fall in line, Eris darted into the mouth of the cave and withdrew a carefully packed torch. After a small dousing of whale oil and a spark from her striker, a cheery flame illuminated the narrow passage ahead of them, leading slightly downward. After checking the positioning of the dagger sheaths she carried at each hip, she started forward.  
While narrow, the passage was tall, the ceiling curving somewhere out of the view afforded by the torch. Warm, ruddy brown walls began to give way to deeper grey gradually. Here and there Eris spotted the telltale flashes of potential silver veins. 20 minutes into their descent, changes creeped into the air. The temperatures dropped, and a faint rotting smell wafted into her nose.  
With a cold and subdued hiss, she withdrew a dagger with the ease that comes from years of weapon familiarity. Ten minutes more had the passage suddenly spitting them out into a large cavern. It was again too large for the light from the torch to illuminate the entire space, so they began the careful task of splitting up to map out the room.  
The putrid scent grew stronger directly in front of her. Her boot connected with something soft that let out a wet squelch. The raised torch revealed two prone bodies, curled up together with arms outstretched in a futile attempt at self defense. One looked to be a younger girl, remnants of blonde hair poking out from a caved in scalp. Eris swallowed thickly, shoving memories down as they attempted to rise. A few feet behind them on a low naturally formed pedestal was what they were looking for. An Outsider shrine. And scattered around and beneath it was a decent amount of jewelry, heirlooms, precious spices and oils. Enough for at least a few months of supplies.  
A quiet whistle to Timid that he answered with an “all clear” bark that echoed around the cavern was exchanged as they went to work. Leaving the blonde corpse to the wolf hound, Eris gripped the wet clothing and began dragging the body in the direction Timid set off with his burden. They dragged them down the only other tunnel a few hundred feet before setting them alight with more precious resources and retreating back to the main cavern. A more thorough rummage through the spoils revealed a large bottle of tyvian salt encased in a lacquered wooden vial. Another quiet chuckle escaped her. Memories abound in this place it seemed.  
“Well, I think we will make camp here boy. Tomorrow you show me which path you found to make it so easy for yourself on the way up.”  
The asymmetrical shrine looked like an afterthought, uneven wood pieces and shards of stone tied together with barbed wire with runes stacked on one another. That was never the case. The loot was shoved haphazardly into her empty pack, but she took great care to not touch the runes or the shrine itself. With that taken care of, another trip to the mouth of the cave revealed the sun had indeed set. If not for the soft earth and fresh rain smell, it would have been impossible to tell the subterranean darkness from that of night.  
While she gathered some smaller branches and twigs to get a fire going, Timid disappeared ahead of her ,returning a short while later dragging a decent sized log. It was damp, but whale oil would work wonders. When the fire was crackling merrily, she settled against Timid’s fur, abandoning the worry of wet dog smell in favor of the warmth his body would give as the temperatures slowly plunged. Pulling her too short blanket over her core, she stared at the Outsider shrine. Unease gripped her tightly, but she resolutely ignored it, and squeezed her eyes shut. Timid would wake her to feed the fire. Sleep called to her and she gladly surrendered.

Something was wrong. Fear choked Eris, her body refusing to respond as she struggled to wake. The air she was trying to gulp in was more like water. Her lungs were burning, a pressure on her chest and a rumbling at her back. Had there been a cave in? Why were her eyes so damn heavy? A whine broke through the rumble, and she suddenly recognized what it was. Timid was growling with a low fury that settled in her bones. Her eyes snapped open and she drew both daggers, leaping forward.  
Sharp eyes scanned the area quickly. The fire was low but not out. Nothing else looked amiss. And yet Timid continued to growl. It was then she noticed the odd shimmer and dim red glow emitting form the Shrine. Daggers retreated to their sheathes as her feet stalked forward.  
Was that, singing?  
A low, sorrowful note was definitely coming from the runes. Even though the pressure in her chest was increasing in sync with Timid’s growls, Eris could not stop herself from continuing forward, her armed outstretched. Her mind was firing questions and insults at her body, but her fingers hovered just above the runes. The pressure grew unbearable, she was sure her lungs would burst any second. Her vision was swimming when a terrible cracking sound fired through the cavern, echoing.  
One moment Eris was staring at empty air, and the next a man with horrific black eyes who had his arm outstretched, wailing like a wounded animal, appeared. His fingers clasped around her neck in a cold embrace. Pain both searing hot and frigid bloomed from her throat, spiraling across her shoulder on an agonizing march down her left arm to stop at her hand. She was unconscious before she hit the hard cavern floor. The man landed beside her, all sound ceasing as he touched the ground. 

***  
What had started out as a promising beginning to new distractions had ended with a litany of unpleasant experiences. His senses were overwhelmed with what had happened. And the pain. The burning pain was thankfully nearly gone since his violent ejection from the Void. He had never experienced pain, at least not that he could remember. The day he was made into what he was, the knife piercing his throat. It had either not been painful or the memory of the sensation danced away from him. But worse was the emptiness where his power and knowledge stemmed from. He reached out a hand, testing. His connection to the Void was gone, silent. What else had he lost? Releasing a quiet, unnecessary breath, he sat up to take in his surroundings. The clothing he favored in his realm had become solid along with his body. His limbs had a weight he was unaccustomed to.  
The was a fire a few feet away from one of his shrines, although calling it a fire now was being generous. A few small embers fought against he inevitable. Across from there was an absurdly large wolfhound, who had one front leg under the head of a human and the other across her chest like a parent would cradle a child. She was unconscious, and the wolfhound was following his every move with wide eyes.  
“You have no need to fear me.” He placated the creature as much as possible with his monotone voice and a wave of his hands as he climbed to his feet. He summoned the Void to him, intending to wrap himself in smoke and disappear. He expected the failure before he tried, but being prepared did not lessen the odd sensation that settled through him. Being confined to the mundane use of himself to move about, The Outsider moved toward the tunnel that was not being blocked by the canine.  
He passed charred corpses, the scent marking them as old. Shortly beyond them, a massive and jagged wall of rock ended the any chance of further passage. A quiet, annoyed sigh escaped him as he retraced his steps. Upon entering the cavern again, he found himself a few feet away from the face of a very angry woman holding a torch in one hand, and a drawn dagger raised in his direction. The wolfhound was standing just behind her, effectively blocking his way forward once again.  
“What did you do to me?” Her voice was not unpleasant, but it was soured by her venomous tone and the sneer on her face. Never one to miss an opportunity to share his superior knowledge, he raised his arms wide. While she was clearly threatened enough to draw her weapon, she didn't flinch.  
“I am the Outsider.”  
He paused for a moment, but the woman continued to simply stare at him.  
“There has clearly been a slight mishap, and I ended up using you as a cushion to break my fall.” More silence and staring greeted his words. Just as he was wondering about her intelligence level, she reached up and pointed at her neck. Following her hand, the Outsider was almost speechless for the first time in, well, over 4,000 years. His Mark curved over the front and side of her neck. It was more ornate than any of the other Marks he had bestowed, the lines and shapes swirling in an unbroken pattern all the way down her arm to where it ended in the Mark more typical of his bearers. Had this been because he had given a Mark unintentionally? He stepped forward and she backed up out of caution.

“Remarkable. It seems as though I transferred my power into you. That is an impressive Bestowment, not to pat myself on the back.” He crossed his arms behind him and began the leisurely pacing stroll he was so accustomed to. 

“Earlier, my home in the Void was set upon by ancient magic, not unlike that which was used to create the immortal version of myself that stands before you. The power of the Void drew me forward, toward this place.” 

The woman dropped down and crossed her legs before him, the hound settling back on his haunches behind her. She jammed the torch into a crack in the floor and balanced her long dagger across her knees. Reaching into one of the side pockets on her pack, she withdrew a piece of fruit and a small carving knife. As he spoke, she lazily cut off a chunk from the deep green fruit. Purple, juicy flesh gaped beneath the path she left with each stroke. When she looked up at him, she had rearranged her face from a mask of anger to one of boredom. He had never been looked at a mortal with anything less than absolute respect and fearful awe before. He disliked the sensation her gaze was giving him. He pressed on.

“I was gathering my power together as I fled, they cast a powerful spell and they somehow managed to hit their target. Namely me. I was drawn to this area because there was a spark that called to me. Perhaps in my haste to escape I simply utilized you as a vessel. I should be able to draw my power back out.” More staring and slow chewing was only response he received.

“Perhaps there was another companion you were traveling with? Anyone at all?” Eyes darted up to his in the dim light, then her head gave a curt jerk toward the dog. Disappointment flooded him, followed by a low anger at the belligerence she was displaying.

“Yes, I am beginning to think that your dog was my intended destination instead of you. There is clearly no one else even remotely interesting in the vicinity. Do you have nothing to say? The oldest being is standing before you and you are only managing to shovel food into your gullet.” That got him a slightly raised eyebrow, and she tossed the remains of the now finished fruit off to the far side of the cavern.

“Timid.” His own eyebrow raised at her response.  
“Timid as in I make you feel uncertain, or-.”  
She cut him off with a derisive snort and a slight shake of her head. His ire rose.

“The hound’s name is Timid.”

“And why would you name such a fantastic creature that name?”

“Because he isn’t.” The Outsider crossed his arms, staring incredulously. 

“So how do you take this off?” She stood and held her marked hand toward him, head turned slightly away and palm of her right hand seeming to casually grip the dagger hilt. He was not fooled. His hand ghosted over the mark, avoiding her skin. His power stirred to his call, but remained elusive. He gripped her hand in his cold grasp, willing the power back into himself. It did not respond at all. Disgusted, he dropped her hand.

“It is not returning. I- I don’t understand.”  
She rubbed at the black stains on her skin, as if she could cast them off herself. When they stubbornly remained, she looked up, something other than anger or boredom on her face. Worry.

“Again, how are you going to get this off?” He turned his back to her slightly, mind churning over the options within the Isles. They were very limited.

“I’m not exactly sure, but I know where to begin to find out.”  
She nodded, then turned abruptly and moved away, throwing a large log onto the fire. The hound settled back down and she leaned onto him, pulling the hood of her short-sleeved jacket down over her eyes. He waited a few moments until he realized that she was not intending on getting back up.

“What are you doing?”

“Sleeping. Attempting to. We’ll start out at first light.”

“Ah, flat out boring and lazy. I have never been in a situation where the most interesting thing within miles is a wolfhound.” He heard a small snort.

“Come now. Don’t sell yourself short, O Dark Lord of the Void.” He heard the derision in her voice and again his anger beckoned. 

“You say that as though it is obvious I am not the most interesting thing in this miserable world.” She pulled her hood back slightly to give him a hard stare. He was unsure why the need to defend himself arose, but it did. His voice lowered with a quiet anger that he allowed to spill into his words.

“I have been plucking the most fascinating people in history from their world into mine, granting them the boon of my powers to make them champions and villains of this realm. Do you truly have no idea who I am?” She sat up and removed her hood completely, copper hair escaping with the fabric from a long braid. Her eyes pulsed from a dull blue to a brilliant green. Well that was something interesting about her he supposed.

“I know exactly who you are. That’s why I didn't touch the runes on your shrine, and why I don’t want this’” she gestured to her arm, “anywhere near me.”

“You were confident enough to take the rest of the items from my shrine though.” He waved toward her bag where he could feel the items that had absorbed some of the power from resting there.

“When was the last time you were truly interesting? Not riding on the coat tails of the mortals you like to brag about manipulating, just you. Something the Outsider did all on his own that left us boring, common folk with a sense of wonder?” She yanked her hood back down and rolled to her side, presenting her back to him. The silence stretched on except for the occasional movements from the hound, Timid. Her words echoed in his mind, troubling him. He had no answer.


	2. Stories

Chapter Two: Stories

Eris woke cold and stiff to find the fire completely gone out. Blackness enveloped her, thick and clinging. She reached a hand into coarse, warm fur while searching blindly around for the packs on the cave floor. The torch was a lost cause she decided. There was always time to make a new one. She clicked once to Timid for him to move, guiding the way out. The trek to the surface seemed longer than it was, and she repeatedly hit her arms and shins on outcroppings Timid easily navigated. Just as she could see a pale green light that heralded the dawn of a stormy day, a voice was in her ear.

“Were you hoping I was asleep?” Eris jerked forward and huffed in annoyance, stepping out of the cave entirely. The Outsider was standing just inside the mouth, arms crossed behind his back again. 

“I was actually. I thought that if I was quiet enough and didn’t light a torch I could sneak out.”

“Unfortunately for you then, I see perfectly well in the dark.” He paused, looking at her thoughtfully before speaking again.

“Truth be told I thought you had decided you would rather keep my Mark.”

"I am more concerned with getting it off me and being on my way.”

“You really have no interest in what abilities you could use? The control and power you could have over others?”

Eris snorted, turning to look at the Outsider with an incredulous gaze. She studied him for a moment as she thought about her answer. What would that be like? She could live unafraid, out of the shadows. A memory of the last time she stood over someone pulled itself up from the depths of her mind. The heady rush of power that excited her first, then sickened her. Scrubbing until her skin ached and bled, but it was never enough. It soaked into her bones and was a part of her.

“No.” Her voice came out in a whisper, cracking at the end. Eris cleared her throat, and tried again.

“No. People like me should never be given power over others.”

The Outsider raised a dark eyebrow at her and wore the ghost of a smirk. Everything about him screamed dangerous and otherworldly. Impossibly black eyes atop sharp cheekbones stared at her as she looked him over. His clothes, ridiculously crisp fabric that spoke of wealth. And his shoes. While well-made and nice enough in any of the noble districts of the Isles, they were definitely not made for trekking through the wild. Ignoring his obvious interest in more information regarding her statement, she started walking. 

“Where is the person you need to speak to   
about giving your rubbish back to you?”

“The witch we need resided in Bastillian the last I knew.”

“Bastillian? In Serkonos? Do you have any idea how long that will take?”

“Geography was not something I paid attention to in the Void. Rather difficult to concern yourself with something as trivial as distance when you can simply will yourself to where you want to go so you tell me how we are going to get there.”

Eris sighed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose hard. Timid gave a reassuring knock to her arm with his head. 

"We’ll head to Alba first. They are the closest port to our location and our best chance to supply and get the coin for the passage. I hate to think of the cost of this. I don’t suppose you have anything of great value?”

“These clothes are the only possessions I have. Interesting they were made tangible instead of me falling into the cave naked.”

“About that. We’ll have to get you new clothes. Those are going to stand out horribly in Alba. You may have to keep your hood up and avoid people with your eyes .”

“How long before we reach Alba?”

“Six days if we hurry. We’ll steer clear of the roads for now, until we get closer to Alba. I would rather not fight off bandits. You should think of a name for yourself too. I can’t go around calling you the Outsider. The Abbey has increased their presence all around Morley.”

“The Abbey is the least of my concern, but I see your point. I will think on it.” Something was different in his tone of voice, and looking over her shoulder, Eris realized he had fallen a few steps behind. 

“How can the Abbey be the least of your concern? We’re headed straight to a major port city that is crawling with Overseers.”

“I was cast from my home by enemies unknown and my powers sealed by someone who has no appreciation for them. These stumbling mortals should be wary of me. Rage is an all-consuming thing, and the rage of a spurned god has no equal.” His own words seemed to embolden him and he quickened his step. Though they were similar in height, his stride put him ahead of her and Timid in a few steps. Eris allowed herself a small smile and decided to wait and see how long it took him to realize he was heading west when they needed to go south. 

***  
Two days passed, but those days seemed to drag on to the Outsider. His traveling companion and vessel for his powers apparently had ran out of things to say their first day, having fallen silent shortly after discussing their travel plans. She had offered him fruit and dried meats from her pack the first evening, at which he simply scoffed. A shrug of her shoulders was all he had received in response. To make up for the quiet boredom of their march, he began retelling some of the tales of those with his Mark to the hound, who proved to be an attentive audience, cocking his head as if genuinely understanding all of his words.  
He told many tales, among them the woman known by two names, who sought out the forbidden secrets of Pandyssia. She found what she was after but lost the ability to make sense of the knowledge and power she acquired. The woman who had no name given to her, so she chose Aldara for herself after receiving his Mark. Her son who sought the Outsider but never found him, driven mad by the pursuit.   
The Empress who bore his Mark nearly eighty years ago, reclaiming her throne from a would-be usurper. How she ruled with clever moves and alliances among the nobles. Her granddaughter rules from the seat of power in Dunwall now, just as clever as her grandmother had been, and as kind as her father was. The lack of an heir was stirring panic among the court and plans were being formed. Nothing is quiet in Dunwall for long.   
Finally he spoke of a boy whose torment had called keenly to him across his realm, overshadowing his importance with pain. The Void itself had garnered an interest, pushing him toward the flicker of interest not unlike it had the day of his expulsion. He was describing the way the rats had been called forth to devour the tormentors of the little boy with a single friend, and his final steps to return to an Outsider shrine when an unusual sensation struck him.   
An uncomfortable and burning feeling began in his middle, slightly radiating outward, and he fell silent with it’s arrival. A strange cloying sensation also resided in his mouth. He shook his head, glad for the cover of darkness while he adjusted to what was happening. The woman was building a small fire as the hound disappeared into the trees, to return later with a full belly and blood stained muzzle. With the fire built, she slipped into her bedroll, palming a dagger before pillowing her head on her arm.   
“You’ll take first watch?” She asked, almost hesitantly. The Outsider nodded, filling the job of Timid. In the dark he planned moves, asking questions he desperately needed answers to, and envisioned the torment he and the Void had planned for those trespassed against them. The assumption that the woman had fallen asleep was proven wrong when she cleared her throat quietly and turned to face him.

“The little boy, who went to your shrine to find you. What did he want?” He remembered that moment perfectly. A small, dying body dragging itself up into a sitting position to touch the runes. He had been there, waiting to see if the child would have the strength to accomplish the task set out for himself. Pale blue eyes swimming a sea of blood, gazing up at the Outsider as he swirled into his view. 

“He thanked me. For enabling him to live out his last days with the power to master his fear. He told me he was unafraid of what waited beyond for him.”

“What waited for him, for the others? What happens after?” The Outsider let a small chuckle escape, one too low for her to hear. She had been listening to his stories all day. 

“Sometimes I am at the mercy of the Void as much as mortals. It has its own mind, its own will. I only see glimpses, flashes shown to me at random. Some things make sense only when the event has happened.” 

"Did he have a name?”

“None that I know of.”

“Have you chosen a name for yourself?”

“I’m still thinking.”

"You don't know mine either. Too concerned with yourself to learn people’s names?” Another low chuckle, smothered quickly at an increase in the burning that was trying to spread through his abdomen. He pushed the sensation down again.

“Would the lady do the honor of sharing her name?” It was her turn to laugh, and it tumbled smoothly out of her slightly too full lips into the air between them. 

"Lady Eris, if you please, Lord of the Void.” Curiosity at her change in demeanor drew him  
forward, knees on his elbows as he shifted in her direction. There it was, a small glimmer of that flicker he had seen in his realm.

“And what is your grand story, My Lady?” Eris narrowed her eyes, then rolled to her side. 

“It’s one that could never compete with the ones you already have.”

“Well, you are starting a new chapter to your story now. I do hope this one is not as boring as you pretend the others are.” She said nothing. Timid showed up a few hours later, curling up at the head of his master. He passed the rest of the time watching the fire swirl twisting patterns onto the earth and wondering what his next chapter held. 

The sun was just beginning to cause a pale glow on the horizon when Eris began to stir. She sat up, tended the fire, and grabbed one her packs. 

“I’m going to head to the spring off that way before I begin to smell as bad as Timid does.” And annoyed huff came from the insulted party. “ If you need something, yell. I won’t be gone for long.” She paused, thinking, and then withdrew a pistol from the pack beside the fire. It was a revolver, and she checked the bullets within before spinning the cylinder closed with a flick of her wrist. 

“You have six bullets. Are you a decent shot?” He took the heavy weapon in his hand, feeling the weight and checking the sights. 

“I have been an observer during most of my time. I assume I can hit someone if they are approaching me with ill intent. I have Timid if all else fails. Are you sure you don’t want it?” He looked up, but Eris had turned and was coaxing a low flame back into the fire. 

“I am pretty good with a pistol, but I prefer up close combat. It’s harder to get hit by someone when you’ve already slit their throat.” With that, she walked off, leaving the Outsider to stare after her with earnest. 

Eris returned a short time later, but the sun still beat her arrival, shining brightly into the small, round clearing they had chosen as their camp. The rain seemed intent on maintaining the reprieve from last night. She had changed into fresh clothes, a long sleeved deep green shirt and black pants. Her copper hair was free in loose curls, and only when the sun hit it did he realize her hair had ochre highlights in it. As she tamed it back into a braid and he realized he was staring, he broke away to look off into the trees. The burning inside had been momentarily forgotten, but it surged back with full force. 

"I would have offered you fresh clothes, but I don’t believe any of mine would fit.” He waved her away, the pain increasing as he focused on it. Was it a spell? Did they locate him already? Curse the pain, it made his mind cloudy. 

"I think the people who cast me from the Void are casting magic against me. I have this pain in my abdomen that I cannot place.” Eris dropped her pack and kneeled beside him, hand hovering over the hair that covered his forehead. There was a sharp intake of breath as she looked at his face, her eyes a deep green that nearly matched the emerald forest around them. 

"What type of pain? Show me exactly where.” He let out a small groan, pointing with his long pale fingers.

"It is an incessant ache. It started out small, and now it feels as though it will consume me. It burns up into my mouth.” To his amazement and irritation, Eris smiled. 

“If they manage to somehow kill me before we remove the Mark, you will be stuck with it.” His voice had grown ragged, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. A small laugh escaped her as she turned and began rustling around in her pack. 

“Are you enjoying this? I would never have thought sadistic to be one of your qualities, but I suppose-“ The Outsider never got to finish his sentence, because as Eris turned back, she shoved a large chunk of the green fruit she had eaten during their first conversation into his mouth. His instinct was to spit it out, but she covered his lips with the fingers of one hand while forcing his bottom jaw up with the other. The flesh gave way between his teeth and a sweet juice flooded his mouth, trickling back toward his throat. The sensation was indescribable, and he immediately wanted more. Confident he wouldn’t spit out the fruit, she removed her hand and rocked back onto her heels, staring at him. Another few tentative chews and then he swallowed, groaning as the fruit made a path to the stomach that had sat empty for millennia. 

“You’re hungry Outsider, and probably thirsty as well.”

“I don’t, I don’t understand. Why would I be hungry?” He was handed the rest of the fruit, which he began to rip into with fervor. Now that he realized what the pain was, his stomach cried out with need. 

“I think you’re changing. Perhaps- perhaps becoming more human? I’m not sure. But your eyes…”

Eris trailed off, and the Outsider looked up to see a loon of fascination on her face. 

“They’re still black, but just the irises and pupils. They look, human.” He mulled this over as he ate. Eris let him think in silence, hanging him a canteen of water that he greedily emptied. When she handed him another fruit, he spoke, spinning it between his nimble fingers.

“If that spell and the separation from the Void are truly returning my mortality, we are going to have to hurry. Our chances of success have decreased.”

“Have you always been part of the Void?”

“No. I was human myself once. So very long ago. Long enough to forget what hunger and pain feel like. What a stark reminder.”

“Do you think this could be the Void giving you another chance at a human life?”

“No. If the Void was done with me, it would not have fought so hard to eject me to safety. Relatively speaking. Besides, I would like to think I have done well enough that the Void would give me a better death than to die as a mundane human.” At this Eris stiffened visibly, turning her back to him in order to smother the fire. 

“Yes, let’s make haste then. I would hate for you to pend any more time as such a disdainful human than absolutely necessary.” 

“Some of them have exceeded my expectations.” She ignored him. 

“Good, I see I will be back to talking to the dog.” He begrudgingly finished the fruit as they journeyed south.

At the end of the fourth day, the landscape around them began to change. While most of Morley consisted of craggy areas and thick forests, the area just north of Alba softened to a fertile valley inundated with small streams leading to the Pynes river that caressed the east side of Alba before swinging away from the coast and back inland. They lost most of the cover of trees, passing through fields that had been seeded and left as the farmers moved inward toward Alba. Eris pointed off into the distance. 

“We’ve made good time. We’ll be there in two days at the most, you cannot see it yet, but Alba is that way. Come tomorrow night we may be able to see the light from the city.”

“That’s good, considering the small amount of rations we have left.” 

“I did not exactly plan on sharing. Timid usually hunts for himself. There. Do you see that grouping of trees? We’ll make camp there. Hopefully the weather holds. It has been nice not sleeping in the rain.”

The small cluster of trees sprang up just at the south side of a low hill. The west end of the trees had a low, crumbling rock wall as if someone had tried to build a structure there. The Outsider dropped down against the wall with a small sigh. As much as he didn’t want to admit to it, he was a little weary. Eris removed the packs she had strapped to Timid and ruffled his fur before pulling his face to hers, their foreheads meeting for the space of a few seconds. 

“Go on boy. Hunt well.”

The hound slipped away into the darkness. Within a short time, Eris had put together a light stew with salted meat and beans. She handed him a bowlful as she sat to his right. 

“Luckily I have two of these collapsible bowls.”

“Why two bowls?”

“Timid sometimes gets leftovers. You’re using his bowl.” Eris laughed at the expression on his face and then she quietly sipped her dinner. The night was quiet, and the low flames entrancing. While he had not slipped far enough into mortality to sleep, he was definitely looking forward to resting for the evening. Eris quietly washed their bowls beside him, swirling the water around with a low hum. Her tawny skin had several scars across it, and her nose had a small bump from a broken nose that clearly never set right. Her hands were also calloused, and one of her smallest fingers looked to also have been broken. The Outsider looked up to her face only to see her staring back at him. 

“You’re not from Morley.” 

“No, I’m not. But I rather like it here.”

“You nose and your hands. What happened?”

“I annoyed a guard. Twice. The first time it was my nose. The second time my finger.” She fell silent, and the Outsider didn’t pry. Out of everything he had learned the past few days, he learned that she spoke only when she wanted to. The quiet stretched on until she broke it with a subject change. 

“So have you decided on a name?”

“I think Orev.”

“Well, it suits you. And just a suggestion, stop referring to everyone else as humans. Blending in is going to be important. You were quiet today. Did you run out of stories?” The Outsider thought for a moment, wondering which of his bearers to tell of next. Instead, something else came to mind.

“There once was a woman who lived at the edge of the sea, on a small unnamed island. It was a simple life, and she reveled in the solace. Every day she would go out and collect what she needed from the beach. This island was surrounded by Leviathans who would sing as long as she stayed on the beach, but go silent when she stepped into the water. One night she woke up the terrible sound of a whale cry. The sounds it made out of grief and fear chilled her to the bone. When the woman went out onto the beach, she found a mother whale and her calf who had come too far to the shore and been beached. It was apparent they had been injured by whalers, harpoons still embedded in the mother whale. She lay dead, but her calf was beside her, keening its last song. The woman spent hours attempting to push the whale back into the water. She cut her hands and legs on its sharp teeth. She poured water over it in a desperate attempt to keep it alive. Just as she and the young whale were about to give up, the tide came in. With more pushing and the rising water, the whale was able to make it back into the water. Ashamed at the sight of the mother whale, the woman moved to another part of the island. Within a few days time, the young whale she had saved returned. It would sing her songs, and she would swim with it in the water. A full year this continued. The other whales moved on in their cycles, but this whale stayed. One evening when the pair was swimming, the whalers returned. Frightened, the woman tried to drive the whale off, but it refused to leave her side. She raised her arms and shouted at the whalers, but they ignored her as they fired harpoons into the whale. One struck, and pain and instinct took over the whale. It fled deep into the water, faster than it had swam before, a muffled sound filling its ears it had never heard before. It wasn’t until it reached the bottom of the ocean that it realized it was not alone. The harpoon had struck through the woman, and she was tethered to the knotted end of the rope. The whale had drowned her. They say the whale still lingers at the edge of the abyss in the sea, and its song is the saddest sound you will ever hear.”

Eris was watching him as he spoke, head resting on her knees. She was just about to say something when her attention was drawn past him. She stiffened for a moment, and then stood up, hand resting discreetly on the dagger handle under her jacket. A new voice rang out to his left.

“Hello friends. I am sorry to intrude, but I was hoping to join you at your fire. I am a new farm hand at the Chaucer farms and apparently that means you get to be the one to hunt down the stubborn ram that escapes. Chased it all the way through a mud pit before it got away. If it’s not too much trouble anyway. I’ll finish the job at first light, it’s just dangerous to be mucking about in the dark. Never know what you might run into. Is that stew?”   
The Outside eyed the man suspiciously, as did Eris. She grabbed a bowl and filled it, never taking her eyes off the man. He was younger, blonde hair and brown eyes, with a forgettable face. He thanked her as she kneeled down, placing herself on the Outsider’s left, directly between him and the newcomer. He remembered that the gun she had given him was laying beside the packs, 15 feet away. The man loudly slurped down the food, ignoring their suspicious looks. 

“Where are your other boots?” Eris asked, a dangerous tone slinking into her words. 

“Other boots?”

“Yes, you said you went through a mud pit. But those boots are fairly clean, as are your trousers.” 

The two eyed each other up for a moment, the man giving a nervous little chuckle. Movement in the darkness caught his eye. Eris was up and moving before he could give her a warning. She leapt forward toward the fire, kicking hot coals at the man. He let out a yell that was cut off as she slit his throat. The Outsider was stunned at her movement and brutality for just a moment, then he ran for the gun. He counted quickly, pulling the gun up to aim. 

“At least 6! Four on the left, 2 directly in front of you!” He pulled the trigger, but his shot went wide. He inwardly cursed himself, and aimed more carefully. Another shot, and one on the left went down. 

Bullets shot by him, one narrowly missing. He crouched down by the crumbling wall, waiting for an opportunity. His eyes followed Eris as she ran toward two of the bandits. She reached out, punching the first one she could reach. The other one grabbed her from behind, attempting to put a chokehold on her. Using his momentum, she locked her legs around the neck of the man whose nose she broke. A few moments of pressure, and his neck snapped. As her legs dropped, she slammed into the feet of the one behind her. He released his hold on her with a startled noise. Eris sank her dagger into his chest.  
Two of the remaining men took aim at her with their pistols. The Outsider fired three times, hitting one man in the leg and causing the other two to drop to the ground to dodge the incoming bullets. It gave Eris enough time to close the remaining gap between them. She threw a small knife into the chest of one with astounding precision, buried to the hilt. He sank to the ground, staring in disbelief at the handle.  
As soon as she reached the other man, she kicked the gun from his hand and climbed up his back in a flurry of moves, ending with her sitting atop his shoulders. The man struggled for a moment, and then his neck snapped beneath her hands as well. As he fell, she rolled off to the side and onto her feet gracefully before stalking to the man lying in the grass, his pained cries echoing into the night. The Outsider scanned to make sure no one else was waiting to attack, then jogged over to join her. She knelt down, gripping the man’s bullet wound. He screamed in agony.   
“What is your name?”

“Stefan, miss.”

“Did you have specific orders to search this area?” 

"Wh- what? Agggh, no no no! Please, stop! We were just out looking for easy pickings before heading up to Arran territory.”

"How many more are there?"

“Just ten! Just ten. Please, I am so sorry. If you let me go I will let them know we have to stay away from this area. You’ll never see us again. I swear.” Eris released her hold on the man’s leg, leaning back for a moment, hands soaked in blood. 

“How many of your victims have you let go?” She asked him quietly, a dangerous glint in her eyes. The man fell silent, his eyes darting back and forth.

“That’s what I thought.” She snatched up the man’s gun and held it to the side of his head. He whimpered and cried out. Eris leaned forward, leaning directly over the man. 

“Here is what you are going to do. You will travel to Arran, and you will find a captain of the guard in the City Watch by the name of Reynald Merrin. You are going to tell him exactly where the rest of your group is, and in exchange he may be lenient. You have one month. I will be flooding your description and your name to every Outlier and guardsman in Alba. So don’t think for a second of trying to flee through Alba. If in one month, I have not received word of you from Reynald, I will be hunting you down. Do we understand one another?”

“Yes ma’am, absolutely.”

“Good. You’ll head out first thing when you wake up.” With that, Eris stood up and then brought her foot down on Stefan’s face, rendering him unconscious. 

“Right, I’ll grab our stuff. We should be moving in case his friends wonder what happened to him.”  
The Outsider surveyed the bodies, an eye brow raised, as behind him Eris packed everything in a fury. Questions burned in him. He knew from the way she had carried herself and her weapons that she was confident, but he had not expected her to be such an efficient killer. Or to show mercy to the man who now lay in front of him. Eris ran back to him, handing him a pack as she pulled her pistol from his grasp to reload it as she handed him a holster.

"Here, put this on. Don’t let it get so far away from you next time, yeah?”

The Outsider glanced over at the man he shot. He had never killed someone directly before. Was he supposed to feel terrible? Ashamed? The only thing he felt was that it had been a necessity. His thoughts were interrupted as Eris shoved the pistol into the holster and then handed him one of the packs.

“Timid will have to catch up with us. Let’s go.”

The Outsider fell in beside Eris, who set a brisk pace south. While the moon was bright enough for her to lead, he kept sweeping the surrounding area with superior eyes. They walked until dawn began to peek over the edge of the horizon, stopping next to a small stream where Eris scrubbed the blood from her hands. Timid reappeared silently as she washed, whining low in his throat. She greeted him happily and then leaned back against him. She mumbled something about resting for just an hour or so, and then was asleep. The Outsider studied her in her sleep. This was turning out to be far more interesting than he dared to hope.


	3. Mundane

Chapter 3: Mundane

Alba was the southernmost port city in the entirety of Morley and the first major city that most trade and passenger ships stopped on their way to the rest of the island. Some 50 years ago the wealthy merchants council had decided to repaint the towers and roofs of buildings belonging to the more prominent districts. Bright greens, reds, and purples lead from the upper district to the grey lower districts, as though someone had carelessly scattered glittering gemstones into ash. A tall electrified wall surrounded the entirety of the city. Armed guards patrolled the top of the wall and manned checkpoints that people flowed through. 

Eris grabbed ahold of the Outsider’s sleeve and pulled him off to the side, craning her head at the guards. After a few minutes, she saw who she was looking for and started forward, motioning for him to follow. Guardsmen Renley smiled hopefully as she walked up, handing him her bag with a flourish for the other guards and slipping him a small coin bag discreetly. 

“That’s not necessary Eris, and you know it.” He stared at her with his kind brown eyes, and Eris shifted uncomfortably. 

“I don’t expect special treatment,” Eris took a step back as Renley took one forward, “and I really am in a bit of a rush.” This stopped Renley in his tracks, and he held his hands up in defeat. 

“Fine, but keep your money, and again, think about what I said.” He eyed the Outsider questioningly but made no comment as the two passed, handing her back the bag and signaling the all clear to the guard manning the gates. 

Well, at least he didn't make a scene. 

“Are you in a quarrel with your lover?” The Outsider sidled up next to her, something close to a smirk playing about his lips. 

“What? No. He’s not- well, not anymore at least.”

“That sounds like a story.” Eris rolled her eyes, turning toward the market. 

"It really isn’t. We had a fun time, and he made things awkward. So it ended.” The Outsider stared at her curiously, keeping in step with her. Eris sighed, and suddenly the words were spilling out of their own volition.

“He said he wanted to move to Karnaca, to take me away from ‘all of this’. He assumed that I needed him to rescue me.” Eris stopped at one of the stands, grabbing a few kirwin fruit and dropping coins into the vendor’s waiting palm. She turned and handed the fruit to the Outsider. 

“You definitely are not one who needs to be rescued.” He bit into the fruit eagerly, savoring it. 

“No, and I rather like what I have here. I have done this on my own and will continue to do so. But enough of this, we have a few stops before I show you where we will be staying. This way.” 

Eris took the familiar path to the closest black market, shutting the door tightly behind them as they stepped inside. Settled behind the bars on two stools to accommodate his girth, the shop keeper leered from under his glasses. 

“Eris my dear! How is my favorite thief? I do hope the jangle in those bags is for me.” 

"Bart, my least favorite dealer! We both know if I jangled that I would be terrible in my profession. However, I do have some things that will make us both happy.” Reaching into her pack, she pulled out the lavish jewelry and gems that people left as offerings to the Outsider at his shrines. Such a waste on their behalf, and a boon on hers. 

Bart made a great show of examining each piece, loudly noting flaws and tugging on the links with pudgy fingers. The two of them argued good-naturedly back and forth as the Outsider walked the shop slowly, Bart watching him with a suspicious eye. He tried to short her as usual, and she asked for more than she knew he would pay. Finally a large coin pouch was tossed into the tray under the divider, Eris having won more than she thought from him. 

Back out into the throng of people, Eris lead the way deeper into the market. The Outsider seemed to be amazed at all of the sights around him, slowing down and staring more than once. Eris grumbled under her breath as she waited for him again. Thankfully their destination was not that far away, and they eventually arrived at Harald’s place of operation. 

“The Choffer’s Brewhouse? Really?”

“I know. And trust me, the name has truly been earned.”

The sad grey building was peeling terribly, and the steel door protested loudly when she wrenched it open. Inside was dingy and poorly lit, most of the whale oil lamps having run out of fuel long ago. She smiled at Sarah, who was was habitually wiping the bar top in a futile attempt to keep everything clean. 

“You here for a drink or business Eris?”

“Just business today, Sarah I’ll catch you next week for a drink.”

“Your loss. I just got a new shipment of Orbun rum in. You know it never lasts long around here. He’s in the back.” 

Harald’s office was just down the hall, and was in stark contrast to the rest of the building. Everything was impeccably clean, with bright furniture and lights. The effect was dizzying almost, and purposeful. Harald was a tall and thin man, with balding brown hair and watery, gray eyes. His smile was large as he sat behind his desk, but it left her feeling cold and nauseous as it always had. He closed the book in his hand with a loud snap, and gestured to the chairs facing him.

“Wait outside the door a moment, this will be brief.” The Outsider languished against the wall casually, such a contrast to her tense form. She passed through the doorway, choosing to stand rather than sit. The two burly men that always seemed to occupy either side of Harald rested their hands on their revolvers and stared her down. The coin purse she tossed onto his desk chinked merrily. Harald counted out the money with deft fingers, making note of the payment of her blackmail for the coming two weeks. 

"You were cutting it close this time to your deadline Eris.”

“My last job took a bit longer than expected. I am still 3 days early.”

“I do rather prefer your usual week in advance my dear. The amount is exact, as usual. I look forward to our next appointment.” Harald waved her away, and Eris quickly obliged, stomping down the hall and back out into the rain, the Outsider close on her heels. 

"I'll explain later. Right now I just want to get back to the flat so I can bathe. Harald always leaves me feeling particularly dirty.”

***

The Outsider followed as Eris pulled them away from the market, the streets becoming less crowded and the houses a bit bigger, with more space between them. Within about 40 minutes they had reached a slightly run down house with a smaller building behind and to the left of it. The smaller one is where Eris headed to. The door had two locks, which she used two different keys for. It swung in silently, and she strode inside, the Outsider hovering inside the doorway until Eris motioned him to step in.

Inside it was clean, nearly sterile. The walls were bare of any decoration, the furniture minimal and plain. He cast his eyes around, the entire floor plan open. The lavatory was the only exception to this, the small area walled off and fitted with a door. There was a bathtub to the side, a privacy screen partially folded in front of it. The building was entirely devoid of windows, the light coming from the whale oil lamps on the walls Eris lit as she walked within.

Eris moved to the small corner dresser and began pulling out a few articles of clothing. Ignoring the Outsider completely, she walked to the bathtub and began filling it. 

“So, what are our plans moving forward?”

“I'm taking a bath.”  
“And? Can you not speak about what we need to do while that happens?”

“I prefer to take a quiet bath.” She glared at him for a moment before pulling the privacy screen shut the rest of the way. The Outsider let a loud sigh of frustration escape then turned away. A small bookshelf was just to the right of what was passing for a kitchen and he perused the contents. 

All three volumes of A Call to the Spheres, Death in the Month of Songs, a few songbooks with collections from around the Isles, and Tales for Children were all on the shelf. Beyond those, a few smaller books with no titles stood. The Outsider ran a finger down the spine of the one on the very end before pulling it down. Behind him the light splash and nearly inaudible sigh let him know Eris had fully entered the bath.

Where he had been expecting words he found instead images. An unknown child, laughing and smiling up at him. The drawings were fantastically done in black and white, detailed and emotive. He was reminded of the skill Anton Sokolov could wield on a canvas. The next page showed the same child, but she was seated at a table with what he assumed to be her family, an older sister, mother and father at a table with a simple meal. He continued flipping, drinking in the detail the pages offered to him. 

A seller in the market, a small boy dressed in rags wth a fearful expression. The image of a barkeep with a wry half smile and hair escaping a bun called to his memory, and he tried to imagine where he had seen her before. Sarah, the woman from the Choffer’s Brewhouse. The next page confirmed who he suspected it belonged to. The guard they had met at the gate sat on a bed different from the one Eris had here, his eyes somber and his mouth downturned. The following pages were blank. 

He knew he was encroaching on very personal territory, but he replaced the first sketchbook and grabbed another. These pictures were filled with color, some the landscapes of Morley, one of the ocean view at night from a beach. A woman with an impish grin starred in several of the drawings. She lounged nonchalantly with boots on a table, danced with a young man, and then was shown at the helm of a ship in another. The final image in that book was one of Eris and the woman together, sitting side by side with mugs. Eris was sporting the same horribly messy braid in her drawings that she did outside of them.

A resigned sound from the bath tub left the Outsider silently scrambling to put the sketchbook up. The shadow Eris casted behind the screen confirmed that she was standing to step out. The Outsider took his seat back at the table, back turned. There were other sketchbooks mocked him from their perch. He would look again later. In just a few short moments, Eris was dressed and sitting across from him, her hair wrapped up in a drying cloth. 

“Your turn.” She said, lacing up her boots.

“I have no human body odor.”  
“Ugh, no, but you have dirt in your hair and those clothes are filthy. And remember to nix the ‘human’ talk.” He had to concede that point. The clothes were dirty, and a quick run of his fingers through his hair confirmed there was quite a bit of muck in it. He made his way behind the screen and ran new bath water. He knew the mechanics and how it should work, but it was still incredibly strange to be participating in a mundane task. Shucking out of his clothes, he sank into the hot water. The sensation was nearly pleasant, the water lapping his skin as he moved causing ripples. He felt his cool skin warm in the hot water. There was a new bar of soap on a crowded shelf, several expensive oils and even a bottle of perfume also occupying the space. The soap at least smelled plain. 

“I assume you have some clothes of our good friend Renley for me to wear here? He looked close to my size.”

“Erm, no. I can fix that though. Just a moment.” Light flooded beyond the screen as the door opened and the Outsider saw the shadow Eris cast before she was gone. He scrubbed everywhere, paying special attention to his hair and nails. Being a mortal was going to prove to be a time consuming task. As if on cue, the tightening in his stomach began anew. They had not eaten since the morning meal of some tasteless mush Eris put together of plant roots. His thoughts of fruit and salted meat were interrupted when the door opened again. 

There was only the flash of her tawny arm as she dropped a small stack of clothes on the floor.

“Those should fit. They may be a bit tight along your shoulders, Dirk is a bit more narrow there than you are. Oh and we have been invited to supper.”

“I am going to need some details.”

“Dirk and Kara own this property and the big house. I rent from them. If you can call it that since they don’t usually accept my coin. They have invited us to dinner. Those are Dirk’s clothes.”

“How did you manage to convince someone to rent to you? Much less for free?”

“I got something back that was taken from them.” The Outsider scoffed slightly as he stood and pulled the drain, using the drying cloth set out.

“That must have been one priceless heirloom if they rent to you for free.”

“I suppose you could look at it that way.” Silence blanketed the room again as he finished dressing. She was right, the shirt was tight across his shoulders, and the waist was slightly too big on the trousers. His shoes were quickly deteriorating from their trek but he shoved them on in the absence of other options. Completely dressed, he shoved back the privacy screen to find Eris leaning back in the same chair he had occupied earlier. Her boots were up on the table and she nonchalantly balanced one of her smaller daggers on the tip of her finger. 

“Are we ready to continue?” The response he received was Eris dropping the chair legs to the floor and leading the way out the door. Outside the sun was setting, but rather than the city quieting, the cacophony seemed to be growing louder. Music floated up from the area of the market, thrumming like the beat of a heart. The Outsider paused, feeling it wash over his skin not unlike the water from the bath earlier. 

Experiencing the world as a part of it instead of as an observer in the shadows was vastly different. Interest spiked inside of him, and he had the urge to go and investigate the market again, to mingle with the people there, watch them create the music and dance to it. Suddenly his stomach clenched again, and he was reminded again of the shortcomings his body was presenting.   
“A time consuming task indeed,” he muttered to himself, then caught up with Eris, who turned to the main house.

* * *  
The scene before the Outsider may as well have been directly from the drawing Eris had in her sketchbook. The exception being that the two of them were now seated at the table, the Outsider at the far end across from the man whose clothes he now wore. Dirk, his name is Dirk. Eris was seated on his right after introducing him as Orev, and the youngest of the two girls appeared to be attempting to attach herself permanently to her side. The woman could scarcely move her arm trying to place food in her mouth without elbowing the girl in the face. The mother, Kara, kept apologizing, which Eris waved away. 

For his part, he shoveled food into his mouth, relishing the explosion of flavors, while Kara and Dirk carried on conversation with Eris. The two girls, Nel and Emma, chattered beneath the adult conversation. There was roast and vegetables, gravy and breads, a salty herbed cheese, and a small plate of grapes. He had just sank into his third slice of bread when the woman of the house, Kara, brought apricot tartlets and a few glasses of fig wine. 

Eris stood, offering to see the girls to bed, and then left the Outsider with these people he knew nothing about. An awkward silence ensued for a few minutes, then the two humans quietly began conversing amongst themselves about the fact that the family would be headed further up the coast in the morning to renegotiate their contracts with suppliers. They were merchants apparently. He could not listen to the prattle of business any longer.

“Eris mentioned she helped you reacquire something taken from you and in exchange you let her live in your other house. She was light on the details however.” The man, Dirk, cast his eyes about the room, a tight smile on his face as if he expected the subject of their words to appear. He then grabbed his glass and headed toward the porch, motioning with head for the Outsider to join him. He followed after grabbing his own glass, taking a tentative sip. The sweetness nearly overwhelmed him. 

Once outside, Dirk shut the door behind them. The Outsider leaned up against the wall and studied the man. He looked nervous, running his fingers across the rim of his glass.   
“Eris did something I can never repay. Someone decided that because we finally managed to made it to the merchant district, we were a lot better off than we were. They stole our girls, demanding a ransom we could never come up with. She heard our appeals to the guards. Without asking for a reward, she tracked them down. Since we couldn’t come up with the money, our girls had been sold to slavers and were being held in a warehouse at the docks. They weren’t the only ones in there. She got them out, gave our girls back to us. I went with the guards to the location she gave us, to help get the rest of the children.” He took a long swallow of his drink, interrupting his story. 

“I will never get the images of all the blood and carnage out of my mind. We blindfolded the remaining children so that they would not see it. I would trust her with the life of my children at a moment’s notice, but the side of her that left all of the bodies in that warehouse terrifies me more than the darkest parts of the Void.” The Outsider smirked slightly at that, mulling over this new information. His thoughts scattered as the door opened and Eris herself joined them on the porch. 

“The girls are asleep. I helped Kara clean up.” She cast her eyes between the two of them, then walked away back toward her flat. The Outsider waited a few moments more before moving to follow her, setting his nearly full glass on the railing. 

“Just be careful, is all I’m saying,” Dirk cautioned, then turned and went back inside. Interesting, indeed.

* * *

After locking the door behind the two of them, Eris made a straight line for her bed. She peeled herself out of her boots and then reached down to pull out the smaller trundle bed beneath it. Exhaustion was beginning to settle into her, so she was confused at the chuckle the Outsider let out. After she stared at him dumbly for a moment, he gestured at the bed. 

“This is where you made your guard friend sleep?” Another sow looks t the trundle bed, and then it clicked.

“No! No. This is for Emma. For a while she was terrified and slept on this. I would stay at his place. Renley has actually never been here.” This time the Outsider gave her the dumbfounded look.

“You must realize how that sounds.”

“You must realize I don’t care. I’m tired and my good mood is running out. Either sit here or use the chairs.” She moved quickly about the flat, changing into a soft tunic and trousers behind the screen, grateful it was still cool enough for the long sleeves and high necked clothing to hide the Mark. She would have to do some adjustments as it warmed. And hopefully within a month or two she would be free of it and settled back into her old routine. After brushing her teeth thoroughly, she stepped out again. The Outsider had quietly settled on the trundle bed with his back against the wall. She turned down the lamps, and crawled beneath the soft blanket, sighing as her body settled. She was almost asleep when the Outsider spoke up. Annoyance flooded her at the sound of his voice.

“Why did you not tell me that you rescued two little girls? You would have let me think you had returned a trinket. The truth is impressive.”

“Why would I? I have no concern as to who thinks it is impressive. I know what I did.” The Outsider was quiet again and so still she could almost pretend he wasn’t sitting a foot away from her. After shifting the grip on the dagger beneath her pillow, sleep claimed her quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. So sorry for my delayed absence. I ended up having reconstructive surgery on my wrist and wow did that take a long time to recover from. By the time I was fully healed I was so stuck. But I can say that I am now back in full swing.


	4. What Weighs Us Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are picking up! We are finally leaving Morley and things are getting more interesting! Also- this chapter has some violence in it.

The next morning brought irritation. As she pulled maps to gauge the length of their trip and worked on a list of supplies they would need, the Outsider peppered her with questions. How long has she been in Morley? Did she want to stay after the Mark had been removed or would she try something new? When he asked for the second time what her favorite type of blade was, she crumpled the edge of the paper she was writing on and gave up.

 

After retrieving her coin purse and adding to it from the safe she kept beneath the floorboards of her claw foot bathtub, they left and headed to the market. She noted with slight approval that the Outsider placed the pistol she loaned him in the holster on his hip. The sun was making a lazy ascent up the sky as the city began to stir, and the crisp morning air soothed her nerves slightly. The Outsider thankfully stopped talking and instead began taking in the surroundings. As he walked he trailed his fingers along the walls of buildings. The market vendors had just finished setting up as they entered the square. She purchased a breakfast pie for each of them and the Outsider mumbled his thanks.

 

“I should probably give at least some of this coin to you. It came from gifts meant to be yours.” The Outsider waved away her words, inspecting the titles the book vendor was squawking about as being rare.

 

“Although I may need some new shoes. These are in a rather deplorable state.”

 

“You’re in luck, we need to go visit Anna to get my armor anyway. She has been doing some repairs on it for me. But first we need to get passage on a ship. There are three that make the trip to Serkonos regularly, particularly Bastillian for peaches, and one is too small. I would rather have enough people aboard that we are lost in the crowd.”

 

They made their way to the docks, the swell of people steadily growing. Out in the bay ships were anchored in close quarters, and the noise increased greatly. Captains yelled at their crew, crew called to dock workers, and merchants harassed the dock workers to hurry up. Eris leaned against a stack of cargo, the Outsider mirroring her stance beside her. The ships they were looking for were some of the larger ones. She found _The Stargazer_ first and, and grimaced. She had the look of a ship who had barely survived a tempest, which was the most likely case. There were great tears into the hull, and remnants of the emergency inflatables they used to keep the ship from taking on too much water. She pointed it out to the Outsider.

 

“That leaves the _Pride of the Empress_ as an option. Which is disappointing, because _The_ _Stargazer’s_ captain I have had dealings with before. Captain Thomas Warren is scrupulous to a rather annoying fault. His first mate, however, has done a few shadier deals for one of Harald’s competitors.”

“And you have ship schedules and typical cargo memorized for…?”

 

“Old smuggling habits.”

 

 She tapped her finger to her lip for a moment. A smaller ship was out of the question, and larger ships were under the direct command of the city itself, with a small company of soldiers usually in attendance.

 

Decision made, she pushed off, heading toward the _Empress_. A ship hand pointed her to the first mate, who was helping to offload cargo. His sandy hair was tied back in a short ponytail with several locks of hair escaping into his warm brown eyes. Eyes that cast her a wary glance as she approached, but the flash of her coin purse had him leading them to his quarters just off the main deck.

 

“How can I help today?” He asked, opening a business ledger at his desk.

 

“Word is that you are preparing a voyage to Bastillian and have room for a few discreet passengers.”

 

“The rate is two hundred for each passenger, half down, the rest when you board. Meals are provided in the mess for a fee or you can have your own food packed aboard. You will be expected to remain in your cabin unless you pay to use the rec room with the other passengers. You’re cutting it close. We cast off at dawn tomorrow.” Eris fought the urge to curse under her breath. She felt the Outsider’s black gaze on her.

 

 After some arguing back and forth, she managed to persuade the first mate into letting them a combined cabin with individual hammocks for one hundred coins less. The talks nearly disintegrated when the issue of Timid was brought up. That cost her the initial ground she had gained in her negotiation, and an additional hundred coins. They departed with her coin purse so much lighter it was painful, and a reminder to be on the ship before 3 A.M.  

 

“I take it back,” she said as they stepped off the ship and onto the pier, “You owe me so much for this.” The Outsider let out a quiet, deep chuckle at her. They spent the next several hours finishing their preparations. Salted meats and barrels of fresh water were ordered and promised to be delivered to the _Empress._ In the afternoon, they headed to the gates where Timid was waiting for them when they stepped outside. Eris knelt down to speak to him in hushed tones. She spoke to the dog as she had with the people she interacted, just slightly warmer. He slipped away after a final pat on his head. He would be at the docks that night.

 

One of their final stops was the seamstress. Anna was an older woman, but her gray hair and wrinkled face belied a wiry frame packed with energy. She greeted Eris warmly, gripping her hands tightly.

 

“It’s done, and may be my best work yet.” She flashed a smile and wink at the Outsider, pulling Eris forward to the counter. Reaching below, she pulled up the armor Eris had given to her to repair a few weeks ago. The cuirass had the straps and buckles replaced, her pauldrons repaired from the sword blow she had caught on the shoulder last month. The bracers and greaves had been embarrassingly worn, and as such she had ordered new ones. The black leather armor had been freshly oiled and gleamed. Eris ran her fingers over it gently, whistling in appreciation.

 

“It’s lovely Anna, I cannot thank you enough. I do have a few other items I need though. And my friend here needs new clothes and some of your sturdiest boots.” Eris left the Outsider in the clutches of Anna who seemed overly eager to begin throwing clothes at him. According to Anna, royal blue was desperately needed to draw out the beauty of his dark eyes. She gathered up waterproof packs, and a new collar for Timid. The glass storefront looked out onto the square, and she quietly watched the people who went bye as she waited. At the far end, a pair of overseers passed through the crowd. She shivered and pulled the edge of her glove further up her wrist, ensuring it was under her sleeve. The marked skin was cool to the touch through the fabric. She noticed a man leaning in the doorway of a closed down business, casting surreptitious glances at window she stood behind. Nothing about them looked out of place, they could have been one of the dock workers shopping the markets. Nevertheless, her senses pulsed a warning, and Eris moved back toward the counter just as Anna declared the Outsider fit to grace the public.

 

“The boots are a bit tight, but they’ll break in within a few days of walking.” Anna assured them, packing up the second most considerable purchase of the day. The Outsider grimaced at the total Anna sang out, as if it would somehow make it sting less. They left the store and headed out into the throng again. Eris looked at the now empty doorway, hackles still raised. Another vendor provided their evening meal, and as the sun began to set, the vendors closed down their stalls to make room for the entertainers.

 

Music began slow and sweet, while the dancers began moving amongst the crowd. She cast a glance at the Outsider. He was watching everything with great interest, and for a moment, she forgot that he was a god cast from his realm. Here, in this light, with the ghost of a smile on his face, he could have been anyone out enjoying the evening. Just as she was leaning over to say something, one of the dancers began twirling a Tyrian fire stick. The crowd backed up across from them, and Eris spotted the same man who lingered near Anna’s shop earlier. Without missing a beat or making eye contact with their stalker, she pulled the Outsider close to her, leaning into him and twining their arms.

 

To say he looked startled at the sudden contact was an understatement. Her breath stirred the hair near his ear as she spoke.

 

“Smile as if I just said something interesting and then follow me. I think we are being watched. And do try to put your eyes back into your sockets, you’re ruining the illusion.” Eris dropped her eyes and smiled up at the Outsider through her lashes coyly. For his part he managed to relax his face, and then smiled and nodded slightly. Good enough. She ran her gloved fingers through his cool ones and they started pulling away from the crowd. Their shadow followed. As they began winding through the streets back toward her home, a second, slighter figure joined the first, trailing far behind, but trailing nonetheless. She leaned toward the Outsider again, resting her head on his shoulder to cover her words.

 

“Do you remember how to get to my flat from here?”

 

“More or less.”

 

“Good. We’re going to be at an intersection soon. I am going to turn around, you continue on. If they follow you instead of me, I’ll double back. When you get there pack everything as quickly as you can.” A few more steps brought them to the intersection. She turned and grasped the lapels of the jacket she had just purchased as she slid both door keys into his pocket, then slipped her bags into his hands.

 

“Hurry.” She urged, looking up at him. He gave her another shocked look that she hoped the shadows covered, then turned, letting out a fake giggle as she went back the way they came. She cast her eyes down as she passed their followers, ears straining. For a moment, she thought she had misjudged and they were going to continue after the Outsider, but then she could hear the distinct sound of the feet changing direction and speeding up. She quickened her pace as well, taking the quickest path to the square.

 

She shoved herself into the biggest part of the crowd and ducked, winding as quickly as she could through the bodies. There was a basket of laundry someone had set down to observe the dancers, and she helped herself to a purple shawl, draping it around her head as she stood up and moved forward. Once she broke through to the other side of the crowd she looked back, picking the pursuers out of the crowd immediately. She cursed vehemently. The man she did not recognize, but the woman was Rachel, Harald’s right hand.

 

If Harlan sent Rachel, he knew she was making plans to leave and had decided she was going against their contract. Rachel was sent to clean up loose ends and collect bounties. She was also cruel and fond of torture. Just as she darted into one of the many side streets, someone bumped into her, pulling the shawl down with grimy hands. She looked into an elderly face, confusion lasting long enough for the man to put his gnarled fingers to his lips and let out a whistle that pierced the night.

 

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Rachel grip the shirt of her lackey and point directly at her across the crowd. They broke into a run toward her just as Eris did the same, ramming her shoulder into the man to get him out of her way. She was thankful for her powerful leg muscles as she sprinted full force down the alley. The chase was on.

 

                                                          * * *

 

The Outsider slammed the door to the flat open so hard the resounding clang it produced made him cringe slightly. He kicked it shut behind him and began shoving items into the packs Eris had bought. His thought from the night before that it would only take Eris a short time to pack up all of her items was proven correct. In under a minute he had blindly emptied out her clothing drawers. He grabbed her sketchbooks off her shelf and was closing up the bag when the door was subjected to another round of being banged into the wall. He had the pistol out of the holster and aimed before his head had finished turning toward the sound.

 

Eris kicked the door shut behind her, locking it in haste. She turned and saw the gun aimed at her, giving him an approving nod. Without saying anything she was whirling away, retrieving her lockbox from the floor panels as he looked about the room.

 

“Have I missed anything?”

 

“I have some books on the shelf. Plain black binding.” The Outsider realized that it would be odd he had already packed those if she noticed. Thankfully she did not. She dumped the entire box into the pack with her sketchbooks and then gave a once over to the flat.

 

“Good enough, we have to go.” Her words were calm, her body moved with quick, yet controlled movements as she strode over to the sink. She peeled back one corner of the rug that lay on the floor, pulling hard on the metal ring attached to a hidden door. She pushed the Outsider in first, and he landed in an earthen tunnel. The smell of dirt and damp assailed his nose. She handed him the packs, and was just getting ready to drop down when there was a quiet set of knocks at the door.

 

“Eris? It’s Rachel. Harlan sent me, and you know what that means. I would much rather handle this like professionals, but just in case, I have a certain, young,” there was a child’s muffled cry on the other side of the door, “someone here who you may not want to leave in my care. Children were never my favorite things.”

 

The Outsider looked up at Eris. Her face was completely blank for a moment, then cold fury took over. He felt like he should be remembering something, but it fluttered just out of reach in his memory. She pulled her legs back from the opening, pressed her fingers silently to her lips, and then shut the trap door back. He couldn’t actually hear her footsteps, but he waited for a few moments before barely cracking the door to observe.

 

                                                           * * *

 

Eris stalked to the door and unlocked it swiftly. She drew a dagger before flinging it open for the third time that night. Rachel was standing in the doorway blonde, cropped hair perfectly in place and a cruel smile. Behind her was a burly man she did not recognize who had a pistol trained on her. Rachel had her arms resting on a child with wide eyes, and a dirty face she had never seen before.

 

“That’s- where did you-?” Eris stumbled for a moment, and in response Rachel dragged a small knife across the child’s throat, shoving her into the door. Blood sprayed everywhere, as Eris let out a small noise, trying to staunch the bleeding with her hands. The girl fell, Eris trying to pick her up. Within moment she went still, a quiet gurgling sound the last noise she made.

Rachel stepped inside, signaling the man to stay.

 

“Harald said you had a sensitive spot when it came to children you liked. Yours wasn’t home, so I had to make do. Now, as I said, we’re both professionals, so I am going to offer you a chance to do this quickly. Griff has a pistol that will make it rather painless, or you can deal with me. Please choose me. I have wanted to see how long you would last against me for years.”

 

Eris stood up, wiping the blood on her pants. Her body was shaking in her fury, and she had to will herself to calm.

 

“I was coming back, and was going to leave enough money to cover for two months absence.”

 

“Oh my dear, you know that’s not the terms of your contract. You chartered a vessel outside of Morley without permission. That is a direct violation. I’m just here to clean up. Harald was conflicted about it if that makes you feel any better.” Eris leveled a glare while backing up and to the left slightly. Rachel tutted at her as she circled back to keep Eris between herself and Griff. She heard the man step just inside the door and sprang.

 

Grabbing the door, she slammed it with all of her might, catching the man’s arm inside the door. There was a satisfying crack and accompanying howl of pain, then the gun dropped from his hand. Eris kicked it away, and then barely managed to get her dagger up in time as Rachel swung down with her sword.

 

The door swung open again, and Eris leapt and rolled to avoid being struck by it herself. Griff charged her with a roar, arm hanging at a funny angle. The man was all muscle and no finesse, but she had no intention of letting him get close to her. Eris kicked a chair at him, while parrying another blow from Rachel. The man tripped and went to the floor. Another blow from the sword was blocked, but it was swung so hard Eris felt the shock travel up her arm.

 

She growled and attacked, tired of being on the defensive. This time it was Rachel’s turn to block blows. Eris landed a blow to Rachel’s face, drawing blood, and in turn received a kick that knocked her back, stealing some of her breath. Rachel pounced on Eris where she landed, bringing her sword in a downward arc toward her face. Eris barely caught the blade between her two, giving her enough time to move her head just far enough and let the blade sink into the floor. It sunk into the wood a few inches, and then the sound of a gunshot startled everyone.

 

Eris looked over to see that the Outsider had thrown back the trap door and fired a shot into Griff’s torso as he finally untangled himself from the chair. A burning in her abdomen pulled her back to her own situation. Rachel had plunged a small knife into her left side, and had just ripped it out and was preparing to sink it into her chest.

 

Eris flipped both of her legs up, catching Rachel under each armpit, then kicked. She went flying, and Eris scrambled to her feet. Her side was burning, and she nearly slipped in her own blood. The Outsider fired again, this shot catching Griff in his shoulder. Eris ran at the giant man, slashing as fast as she could. Blows from her blade landed on his arms, his face, and then she dropped and sliced through his hamstring. Griff fell to his knees, and Eris plunged her dagger into his chest, twisting before wrenching it free. He stared at her shocked for a minute, then he slowly fell over.

 

Rachel had managed to get to her feet in the time it took Eris to dispatch Griff, and now her hands were held in front of her in supplication.

 

“You’ve won. You’ve won! Just let me go back and explain to Harald the misunderstanding.” She looked at Eris, pleading. Over her shoulder, Eris could see the body of the child, some unnamed street urchin who didn’t ask for any of this. She swung her dagger, catching Rachel’s fingers at where they joined the main part of her hand. Her screams of pain were silenced when Eris drew her own dagger across Rachel’s throat.

 

“Outsider, get the door. Someone is bound to have heard all of that.” She could hear the sound of him scrabbling back into the house. Eris picked up the severed fingers, wrapping them in a kitchen cloth without removing any of Rachel’s jewelry. Without looking at the damage, she shoved another under her tunic to staunch the blood flow. She would look at it when this was dealt with. Pain laced her every move.

 

Eris walked over to the whale oil lamps mounted on the wall, pulling two of them down. The Outsider had finished locking the door again and moved back to her side when she threw them. It took only seconds before the volatile oil was spreading, the flames licking up the walls and furniture. The Outsider made a concerned noise.

 

“Quickly, back to the tunnel. Hurry up, we don’t have long.” This time Eris dropped down first, with the Outsider following and shutting the trap door. Darkness enveloped them completely, but Eris knew every inch of this tunnel. They made it twenty feet into the tunnel before she paused beside a small box. She reached in, grabbing the small explosive she had set here years ago, and tossed it back into the tunnel behind them.

 

After a moment’s pause, the explosion rocked the tunnel, sending a wall of dust and small rocks pelting into the two of them. Eris rested against the wall for a moment. The Outsider looked over his shoulder.

 

“You collapsed the tunnel completely.”

 

“Good, that was the idea. Let’s keep moving, here, take this would you? I’m having a bit of-“ Eris stuttered a moment, her vision swimming. Her pant leg was wet, and she was pretty sure her sock was as well.

 

“Eris. I’m unfamiliar with the amount of blood a human can lose, but you have lost a considerable amount. I think you need assistance.”

 

“Yeah, I think she nicked something. We’re not that far from Tamara’s clinic, she’ll help me. Come on.” Eris pressed the rag hard to her side, resisting the urge to cry out at the pain. The tunnel had to end soon, she didn’t remember it taking this long. She also didn’t remember it being this cold.

 

Eris didn’t realize she had stopped until the Outsider was shaking her, telling her to keep moving.

 

“Talk to me, tell me where the clinic is.” He coaxed her, one cold hand on her arm. The clinic, it was…

 

“Eris! Where is the clinic?” Fear was gripping her, as slick as the blood that was refusing to stay in her body. She stumbled, the Outsider catching her. They should be out of the tunnel now, shouldn’t they? He shook her, demanding again that he tell her where the clinic was.

 

“It’s- it’s at the corner of-“ Eris could see it in her mind. A building painted bright yellow amongst all the grey, the roof slanted too far to the right and the sign out front broken. Just as she was taking a breath to name the cross streets, she felt herself coming apart, pain taking over. There was a black swirling all around her, and she fell into it.

 

                                                          * * *

The Outsider had never had to experience traveling with the powers of the Void at the whim of someone else. It left him feeling odd. One moment they were standing in the tunnel Eris was redecorating with her blood and then suddenly they were appearing in a small building. They dropped in from a few feet up, landing hard on the concrete floor. The attendant sitting at her desk let out a small scream at the sight. This brought a matronly woman running out of a set of double doors, hair coming down slightly out of a greying bun.

 

Her hands flew to her mouth as she saw Eris, eyes traveling back and forth between her and the Outsider. Then her mouth set in a grim line and she snapped at the girl who has screamed.

 

“Callie, get my bag now. Hurry up girl. You there. Help me get her onto a bed.” The Outsider did as he was told, scooping Eris up into his arms and following the woman he assumed was Tamara. She pointed to a bed and moved to the sink, scrubbing her hands quickly. Callie brought out a hefty bag and dropped it onto the bed next to where the Outsider set Eris. She made another trip to place their packs beside where he stood and then retreated back to where she had been sitting, closing the double doors behind her.

 

Tamara strode to the bed with purpose, peeling the sticky shirt back from Eris’s skin. She tsked quietly to herself and began pulling instruments out of her bag. She rinsed out the wound and examined it closely. Another tsk and she began to stitch. The Outsider watched her work for a moment before looking into Eris’s face. She was unconscious from blood loss, but the woman seemed to be calm, so he assumed Eris would be fine.

 

“I’d ask what happened, but I doubt you would be any more forthcoming than she has been any other time I have had to stitch her up.”

 

“She was stabbed. I assumed that much was obvious.” This earned him a dark look. He shrugged in response. Over his shoulder he could see Callie stealing surreptitious through the panes of glass. Tamara finished stitching and then pulled out a stoppered glass vial. She forced some into Eris’s mouth, then leaned back with a sigh.

 

“I have to check on my other patients, but call me when she wakes.” The Outsider nodded his head, then sat down on a bed to wait. While he waited, he wiped the blood off her blades. Around the third hour, Eris stirred. At first it was just a quiet moan, then she jerked into a sitting position, clutching at her side as she did so. She focused on him sitting there, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

 

“How did we get here? I didn’t finish telling you where to find the clinic.” The Outsider could hear movement behind him, and erred on the side of caution.

 

“You used what was given to you, I didn’t have to do anything.”

 

“Perhaps that’s why I have an awful taste in my mouth.”

 

“You can thank me for that, actually. Do you have any idea how expensive those tonics are?” Tamara bustled past again toward Eris, placing her fingers to the side of her throat. She checked the bandaging under her shirt, then patted her shoulder.

 

“You’re lucky your friend here got you to me. That was a close call Eris. You should probably rest here for at least a day.” Eris shook her head at this, standing up on slightly unsteady feet.

 

“No, we have to go.” Tamara clucked at her, trying to force her to sit back down.

 

“I haven’t sent a runner to Renley yet, but I can do that now.”

 

“No.” Eris began grabbing her pack, sheathing her daggers back after taking them from the Outsider.

 

“We’re leaving. Move Tamara.” The woman was trying to take the pack back from Eris.

 

“You can’t leave. You need medical attention for at least a day. I’m going to send for Renley, you have me worried. You have people who care-“

 

“I think I’ve had enough of attachments getting in my way for one day. Try to call for Renley and I’ll break your wrists.” The Outsider raised a brow in surprise as he looked over at Eris. She was positively snarling at the woman. She dropped some coins on the bed and stalked out.

 

The Outsider grabbed the packs she left behind and jogged to catch up with her. Just outside the clinic she paused, hand pressed to her side and breathing pained.

 

“What was the purpose in all of that?”

 

“She wasn’t going to let me go unless I was horrible to her. We need to hurry, dawn will be here soon. First though.” She walked over to a small group of kids, and handed a young boy some coins and a bloody cloth, quietly speaking to him. He nodded twice, and then took off at a run.

 

“What was that?”

 

“A package for Harald. A warning really.” Eris began walking toward the docks, and the Outsider followed her into the dark streets of the city.


	5. A Song of Whales

The Outsider was bored. Bored enough he was pacing repeatedly. The first few days they had been forced to remain in the cabin, Timid escaping long enough in the early morning hours and at sunset to do his business somewhere on the ship. Eris did this several times as well, except she had to use the communal bathroom in the hall. She returned from the washroom just then with her hand over her mouth, looking ill. The look she gave him seemed irritated.

 

“I am rather jealous of the fact that you do not have to be bothered by human issues other than eating. The water in there has a stench, and I have been hearing complaints about odd tastes in decks below. Anyway, I checked in with Bennet, he said we will be dumping off some important someone or other on Myr Island tomorrow and then security should be lax. We’ll need to keep the visits to the deck brief and in the evening. And avoid the Captain like the rat plague. He has the giant hat that he apparently glued to his head. He’s- a headache. Avoid him.”  The Outsider was sure it was the most he had ever heard her speak at one time.

 

“Bennet?”

 

“The First Mate of the ship here. We spoke to him when we booked passage.” The Outsider nodded and resumed his pacing. He nearly stepped on Timid’s tail and received a reproachful look from the hound. Eris sank into the hammock and pulled her sketchbook into her lap. He noticed on one of his passes she was chewing the end of it thoughtfully, staring with furrowed brows down at the pages.

 

After numerous passes, he seemed to even get on her nerves. She snapped her book shut with a sigh.

 

“Perhaps you should tell one of your stories.” The Outsider looked at her, eyebrow raised slightly. Eris stared back. It was something he appreciated, he realized suddenly. She always looked people in the eye, unwavering, unafraid. He was used to others casting their eyes away from his.

 

“Are you telling me you want to hear one of my stories?”

 

“That’s not at all what I said. However, you like to hear yourself talk, and your pacing is irritating. So, talk.” He continued on his path, but slower this time.

 

“There was a man who fell in love once. The woman he chose was temperamental and changed moods and thoughts like the wind. Everyone warned him she would leave one day. He didn’t pay them any mind. Knowing she would go, he chose to enjoy their time together. And she left, just as he knew she would. He missed her more than he realized he would, mourned her. He went to the sea to escape.” He noticed as he paced that she reopened her book, pencils moving across the paper. The scratching sounds were oddly pleasing to his ears.

 

“After years spent at sea, he returned, following someone he thought he could admire. The city was stifling so his days were spent in a boat on the water. He grew to know every inch of the Wrenhaven River, as well as he knew the scars on his own body. In return for his attention, the river granted him new scars. Yet it also gifted him with wonders. Songs sang sweetly at night, faces winking at him beneath the water. This man became entrenched in the events of Dunwall many years ago. He disobeyed a bad order to save a good man, giving an assassin half of what they were owed.” Eris turned a page, pencils moving at a furious pace. Curiosity at what she was creating between the bound leather pricked at him. Some tendrils had escaped her hasty braid, framing her face in her flame-colored hair. She paused, pencil hovering, and then peered up at him. He began pacing agin.

 

“The era of strife in Dunwall came to an end, for a short while at least. After the celebrations, he returned to where his life began. The sea always beckoned, and he always answered. By chance he found his old love, both of them much frailer. She asked to be taken to the water, and he never could refuse her. A few hours turned into a day, and they found themselves adrift and without bearings. When the sun should have risen to chase away the fog, it remained steadfast. They met their end clinging to one another, a watery grave by a beast even the greatest leviathans avoid. I expected to see them pass through the Void, but they have yet to do so.” Lapsing into silence, the Outsider stopped his pacing. After a moment, he dropped into the hammock across from Eris. She remained bent over, and he realized from this angle she had several more pencils shoved into her hair. He began taking in more details, committing things to memory. He wanted to tell her story someday.

 

                            * * *

Security did lessen after the first stop of their trip. They spent their days shut in the cabin, but at night they roamed the ship, avoiding the crew and few guards. It was easier than Eris expected. Now that the ship had settled in for a direct route toward Whitecliff before their stop in Bastillian, everyone on the ship seemed to relax. The Outsider wandered off on his own, while Eris made use of the ship itself. She ran paces silently until her lungs ached, and exercised deep inside the ship, making use of all the exposed pipes.

 

Eris was inside before the Outsider this time, drawing a sleeping Timid with his tongue out when he entered. He made an odd face when he stepped out of his boots, Eris barely catching it.

 

“Problem?” She gestured with her finger.

 

“Just a bit tight, they’re not wanting to break in properly I think.” The Outsider retired to his hammock, eyes closing as he “restored energy” as he called it. It was similar to sleeping but, strangely different. He would go completely still, sometimes closing his eyes, though they were often open. He closed them this time. Timid moved to lie under the Outsider’s hammock and began snoring. An idea took form in her mind, and she slipped out the door.

 

Dawn had come and gone, and the captain would be above deck by now. Eris ascended the stairs to the next deck, turning down the corridors she had already memorized. There was always a guard in front of his door, but his private bathing quarters attached to his room had a set of pipes running into it from the ceiling. The pipes themselves carried filtered water from further below deck, and twenty feet away from the captain’s room there was a gap just large enough for Eris to fit through. After checking for anyone, Eris jumped up, grabbing the pipes and shimmying up into the gap.

 

The dirty pipes gave way to a bathing room was disturbingly ornate. Given his hat, she really shouldn’t be surprised. Eris dropped down into the tub silently, giving her eyes time to adjust to the sudden light. The door was locked, so the man was careful. Pulling out the lock picks she always kept in the thin pouch on her belt, Eris went to work. The satisfying click sounded, and she swung the door open.

 

The gaudiness of the bathroom paled in comparison to the actual quarters. Mahogany covered the floor and ceiling, polished until it shone. A bookshelf with ornate carvings was filled with books, though it was dusty. A huge four poster bed complete with a canopy, elaborate bedding and throw pillows was opposite her. At the foot of it was a chest that looked to be made completely out of whalebone. It had an impressive lock on it.

 

There was an overly large desk across from the bed. A dark, nearly black wood she couldn’t identify served as the base, and on top of it rested a massive, unbroken slab of marble.

 

“Surprised the ship doesn’t list to the port side.”  Eris moved to the armoire, pulling it open and finding what she was looking for. A pair of boot stretchers and a canister of balsam was inside. She had just picked them up when she heard the guard outside the door.

 

“Captain Warren!” Eris pushed the doors closed quickly, wincing at the audible click they made. She sprinted back across the cabin and into the bathroom just as the door opened. Keeping the knob twisted, Eris eased it closed the rest of the way, turning it back slowly so it sealed without making any noise. Removing her lock picks, she set about locking the door again. Outside she could hear the captain and first mate Bennet.

 

“I think this is a poor business decision Captain. Your reputation is flawless and this will sully our trade-“

 

“My decision is final Bennet. You will make the arrangements.”

 

“As you say.” The lock clicked shut again, and Eris climbed back up to the pipes. When she made it back to their room, the Outsider was still in his odd state. Working quickly, Eris smeared the boots with the softening cream inside and out, then inserted the stretchers. Timid woke and came to sit next to her while Eris ate a small meal of dried fruit and sipped out of the water barrel she had ordered for them to keep in their room. It still tasted clean and fresh. She briefly wondered what was wrong with the barrels in the deck below them and the washrooms.

 

Eris had just decided a few hours time was enough and removed the stretchers when the Outsider sat up. It was slightly disconcerting. He never stirred as humans did, instead simply went from being motionless to fully animated. Eris retreated to her hammock, and Timid took his place beneath her. She fell asleep with her hand resting in his coarse fur.

 

                                   *  *  *

The next few days a squall stalked their progress, bringing cold rain and angry winds. The Outsider resumed his pacing, Eris snapped at him to read a book, and he ignored her. He gave no stories and she didn’t ask for any. When the storm broke in the middle of the night they both made for the deck, heading opposite directions from each other.

 

The air above was cold and salty, but invigorating as Eris breathed deeply. A thick grey fog hung everywhere, making it difficult to see much past the lamps hanging here and there. Finding the railing, Eris leaned on it, listening to the sounds of the ship slicing a path through the water. She wondered briefly where the Outsider was in all of this.

 

A tingle made itself known in her left hand. Eris pulled off the glove she wore most of the time now and rubbed her skin, examining the Mark closely for the first time. Death would claim her before she admitted it out loud, but the Mark was actually almost pretty. Some of the lines swirled down toward her fingers, stopping just where they connected to her palm. There was the tingle again, and she tugged her glove back on.

 

As she walked the deck, she spotted Timid curled up in front of the door to the bridge.

 

“What are you doing up here boy?” In response Timid looked up, Eris following his gaze. The Outsider had his back to her, sitting cross legged and staring up into the grey. Petting Timid’s head once, Eris climbed up to sit atop the bridge as well. The Outsider looked at her with a raised eyebrow. They sat in silence for a few moments.

 

“My behavior the past few days was… slightly unbecoming.” Eris spoke quietly, dragging the words from her mouth.

 

“I’m used to traveling alone and constant movement grates on my nerves.” Another look from the Outsider, but Eris continued looking forward. She was slightly startled when he spoke.

 

“My behavior was not much better. I’m not used to being cooped up in places. The Void was so vast, and I believe I am feeling the disconnect from it. This here, I can almost pretend I am back again.” Eris shivered slightly and pulled her jacket tighter.

 

“Is it this cold there?”

 

“Is it cold now? If it is, I cannot tell.” Eris stared at him, thinking he was joking but then she saw the sincerity on his face.

 

“Bloody hell, yes it’s cold. I hate it.”

 

“A girl from Tyvia who hates the cold?”

 

“I wasn’t actually born there, but yes I hate it.”

 

“Perhaps you’ll tell me that story sometime.” Eris thought about it, faded memories of riding a ship similar to this one, growing colder the nearer they got to their destination. She shivered again.

 

“I’ll tell you when we are off this ship and when I have a hot drink between my hands.” The Outsider nodded, and the silence fell between them again.

 

“Tell me about the Void.” The Outsider was quiet for a moment, looking up still.

 

“I have heard people describe it as grey, cold. Empty and full of despair. Most of it is wondrous. I can see the blue glow that comes from everywhere and nowhere at once. The Void sings, quietly and to itself, but I can hear it. Grey swirls about similar to this fog, but it simply envelopes you, never obscuring. Beautiful colors fill the abyss of the Void. There are parts that I stay away from. I have not been human for so long I forget the sensation of most emotions, but if a god could be terrified, I know that traveling there would result in my being so.” Eris snuck a glance at him, wishing she had her sketchbook with her. She made notes of details for later.

 

“The most amazing thing about the Void is the souls that pass through. I have met many people in my time as Outsider. Some are interesting, some are not. The whales swim through the Void as they do the oceans here. I know each one, and their names. They are magnificent.” He fell silent again. Eris removed her glove again, holding her hand up.

 

“I was able to use the Mark that night. It wasn’t intentional, and I haven’t tried to since, but it may not be a bad idea to have some control over what I can do with it. So, what can I do? How?” The Outsider followed the lines with his eyes, trailing up to where they disappeared beneath her sleeve.

 

“I was able to use my abilities with my thoughts. Those who bore my Mark used hand motions along with their thoughts. It could drain them, so they drank potions to strengthen themselves. My suggestion? Practice.”

 

“Insightful. I’ll see what I can manage.” The tone of her voice carried no spite, and this time the silence between them stretched even as the fog began to dissipate. A blue glow began at the horizon. The Outsider gripped her arm unexpectedly.

 

“There! Just there, that color is what paints the Void at the edges.” He looked excited, his black eyes as full of life as a dead god could be. Just then, deep, keening sounds reached their ears. The Outsider stood up, Eris following his example. They couldn’t see the whales, but their songs reached them.

“This is what I miss from the Void. It is a disappointing thought to think that so many pass through and miss the beauty that is before them.”

 

“This world has beautiful things to offer as well.” The Outsider nodded his acknowledgement, not taking his eyes off the ocean. Eris had never heard whales before, and their singing was something to behold. Almost to the edge of her vision, she could make out the whales beginning to surface. She was so entranced by the whales she failed to see another ship approaching.

 

The song changed, the keening becoming high- pitched and desperate. She knew they were screaming. Screaming in the only language they had. The Outsider gripped her arm again, painfully digging his fingers in. Anger was on his face as he took in everything.

 

“And the whalers refer to the leviathans as monsters.” His voice was a snarl, it’s intensity taking Eris aback, although she kept her own face calm. He let go of her arm and spun away, climbing back down the ladder.

 

“I cannot witness this.” Timid followed him, and the two of them disappeared below the deck. Eris turned back to whaling ship, the sound of the whales sinking into her.The look on the Outsider’s face was burned in her mind.

 

Eris stared down at her gloved hand, the Mark tingling again. She clenched her hand, imagining disappearing from here and reappearing on the deck of that ship. She clenched hard enough her hand shook, and then- She felt herself changing, body coming apart in a swirl of grey.

 

Her body reassembled again in mid-air, and she dropped onto the deck of the unfamiliar ship less than silently. That was going to have to be worked on. They already had a whale harpooned, lashed to the side of the ship on a large steel platform. The men who were trying to attach some equipment to it failed to notice the woman who dropped out of thin air until Eris kicked the first one overboard.

 

Realizing they had an assailant on board, the other two charged at her, yelling for reinforcements. They joined the man who was floundering in the water in seconds. The whale’s eyes was level with her head, and it watched her as she moved about. The forlorn noises it was making spurred her movements. They had already attached several collection devices to its side, and a small amount of the shimmering blue whale oil had began filling one of them already.

 

Working quickly instead of gently, Eris pulled the devices out. Needle like apparatuses had been buried deep within the side of the whale, and they made a horrifying sucking noise as she worked them out. A great bellow of pain left her teeth rattling, but she finished the grisly task. She could hear the sound of men coming up from below deck.

 

Drawing her daggers, Eris sliced through the thick ropes running through the pulleys attached to the platform. There was a brief pause, then the platform gave way, dropping the whale back into the ocean, silencing the cries of the men who had swam underneath it to try and scale the ship. Five men spilled onto the deck, two aiming revolvers at her as the others loaded theirs. Clenching her fist again, Eris was surprised when a shadowy mimicry of her arm lashed out.

 

Recovering quickly, she used the shadow arm to sweep their feet from beneath them. This time she focused, and her body once again disassembled and reassembled below deck, near her goal of the engine. As she suspected, several containers of whale oil were there. Clutching one in her arms, Eris willed herself to calm. It was difficult to push down the thrum of excitement and fear that was currently swirling through her, but she managed. At the end of her exhale, Eris threw the glass canister at the engine, then disintegrated once more.

 

Whether it was the blast or being unable to actually see the Empress she was hoping to land on, Eris did not make it. Her body reassembled not far from the whaling ship, plunging into the icy water. She sank a few feet first, reeling from the shock. Getting her legs working again, she propelled to the surface.

 

A shaky gasp drew air into her lungs, teeth chattering immediately. The whaling ship was in the process of sinking, already submerged a quarter of the way. Men were yelling and scrambling, trying to get the life boats into the water. A sensation of energy passed beneath her, confusing her until the ship shuddered from impact. The whales were ramming the ship. A man fell into the water, only to be seized in the mouth of a whale that exploded out of the water beneath him. His screams were cut off as he was dragged beneath the surface.

 

The whales continued battering the ship, knocking more men into the water. They were still singing, but this was more of a battle cry, and it terrified Eris. Turning, she realized how far away the Empress had gotten. She clenched her fist again, picturing the deck, Timid, her warm rented room. Nothing happened. Desperately, she swam away from the carnage.

 

She only managed to get a hundred yards or so before the cold sapped her strength. The Empress was even further away, and her legs no longer wanted to move, her arms barely treading water. A wave covered her head, plunging her beneath. Her startled lungs received seawater instead of air, and the panic gave her the strength to breach the surface again. Clothes weighing her down, Eris gave a sad kick to keep her mouth and nose above water.

 

The sound came from below her. She knew it now. The whale song reverberated in her, filling her chest with a beautiful kind of dread. Expecting to be thrown into the air in the jaws of an angry whale as the first sailor was, Eris was surprised when the whale broke surface to the right of her. Dawn was officially here, and the sun cast its rays directly into the large murky eye staring at her. As she stared, struggling, the song changed. It became soothing, calming her.

 

Blue iridescent fluid trailed toward her, leaking from three symmetrical holes she could make out beneath the waves. Another moment of staring, and the whale moved away, disappearing. Her strength failed completely, and Eris drew in one final breath before sinking. Two feet down she clenched her hand in a fury, demanding the Mark obey her. Another five feet and she let out an angry yell, cursing her moments of weakness that resulted in nothing but trouble. Her air escaped in bubbles, easily floating above her. That angered her further.

 

Just as pressure began in her ears and her lungs were burning, Eris felt herself bump into something below her. Her descent stopped, and then reversed. Her body and mind was numb enough that she was at a loss for what was happening until she heard the singing again. The whale broke the surface with her atop of it, and she was dragging in great lungfuls of air.

 

It’s skin felt warm beneath her, and Eris laid on it while her breathing steadied. Looking back at the ship, she saw it was completely submerged, a burning lifeboat the only sign anything had been there at all. Her teeth chattered still, but she refused to let it stop her.

 

“Th- thank you. That was- just, thank you.” It continued singing, and she leaned over the side of it, trailing her shaking hand down the side of the whale in a gesture of thanks. It’s song rose higher at her touch.

 

 The Empress was a speck in the distance, but her mind calm now, she knew the Mark would function as she willed it. This time, she reappeared on the deck without dropping onto it. The majority of the crew was at the opposite end, staring out where the whaling ship had been. Eris made her way down the deck stiffly, but without being accosted. As she neared the door to her room, she could hear scratching and whining.

 

“Stop that. Eris said you could understand words just fine but I am having my doubts. What is wrong with you?”

 

Timid was on her the moment she opened the door, knocking her to the floor. She welcomed the warmth that his fur offered, even if he needed a bath terribly. His insistence on trying to lick her face she could do without. The Outsider had a curious look on his face as he stared at her, taking in her appearance.

 

“Did you end up in the ocean? Fully clothed?” Eris shoved Timid aside, pulling her boots and socks off. The Outsider turned around to give her privacy as she shucked off the rest of her soaking clothes. Her jacket was going to be ruined.

 

“Yes, that whaling ship exploded. It startled me and I fell overboard.” The dry clothes felt glorious as she slid them over her skin. She curled up on the floor beneath her hammock, and Timid curled up next to her, lending his body heat to her.

 

“I was up top just after the explosion. You’re telling me you never called out for help?”

Eris burrowed her face into warm fur, closing her eyes.

“If I told you I decided to take a full bath instead of washing with a small rag in the bathroom would you believe me?”

 

“No. No I would not.”

 

“Then there’s nothing to say.”

 

 

                             *  *  *

The rest of the trip to Whitecliff was uneventful, and considerably more pleasant than the first part had been. The ship itself would be docked for twelve hours, and Eris decided to leave the ship to get a few supplies. The Outsider remained behind with Timid, much to his chagrin. He understood however.

 

“You’re not stepping foot in the city that has the highest concentration of Overseers.” And then she was gone. Timid was left behind as well, so he had company at least. When she came back she brought him kirwin fruit and a pear soda. The Outsider enjoyed the sticky sensation it left in his mouth. Eris gave him the second bottle, claiming it was still too sweet for her. At night they sat in silence, observing the stars. Sometimes the Outsider told her stories. The cold air of Gristol gave way to the warmer winds of Karnaca as they drew closer.

 

The sun was slipping beneath the horizon when the city of Bastillian came into view. He could make out lights from where he stood. Several other passengers were crowded onto the deck, excitement rippling through them. Members of the crew came through, moving everyone along and reminding them to pack their things for docking. The Outsider slipped beneath deck and back to their cabin. Inside Eris was finishing packing their things, Timid catching a final nap beneath the hammocks.

 

A question rose to his lips, only to die when the boat suddenly came to a halt. The hammocks swayed with the abruptness.

 

“How close to the city docks were we?”

 

“Not close enough to stop.”

 

“Finish packing quickly. Timid.” All she said was his name, but the hound immediately stood and went to her side, alert and ready. As the Outsider was pulling his pack on, Eris pulled one of her daggers and cut the hammocks down, stuffing them into her bag. She shrugged nonchalantly when she saw him raise his brow.

 

“You never know what may come in handy.” Outside their door, the sounds of people grew louder.  Eris opened the door and pushed her way out, Timid helping create a path for the Outsider to follow in closely. The exit topside was currently blocked by two crewmembers. The crowd was swelling around them, people angrily demanding to be let through.  


“Captain said to wait here for a bit, if you all could return to your cabins it would be-”

 

“Oi! Ya choffers let us through! We been inna cabins fo’ weeks!” The words came from the mouth of Eris, but if he had not been watching he would have sworn it was from someone else. Her head was ducked, and when she was done speaking she pushed forward on the people in front of her. At her words others joined in, cries of outrage breaking through as the guards were stormed. Nearly a hundred people spilled out onto the deck.

 

As the crowd realized how far away from the city they still were, confused yelling began. Movement out on the dark water caught his eye. Another, smaller ship was moving toward them, its engines cut.

 

“Eris, another ship is heading toward us. Covertly.” Her head whipped around to him, eyes narrowing, the Outsider’s outstretched arm pointing starboard.

 

“Come on, we are not sticking around to see what they want.” They walked quickly to the port side, leaving the angry crowd behind. A vaguely familiar man jogged over toward them as they moved. Eris stepped between him and the Outsider, hand resting on her dagger hilt.

 

“What do you want?” Her voice came out as a hiss, and Timid growled quietly. As the man put his hands up, the Outsider recognized him. First mate Bennet.

 

“Easy now. I came to help you get off the ship.”

 

“You’re helping us? Why? What is going on?”

 

“I’m not interested in having a god pissed at me. Yeah, I knew who you were the moment the two of you approached me on the ship in Alba. I don’t know what exactly the captain has done, but he accepted an offer to allow the ship to be boarded before we made port here. A message was sent to us at sea and then he met someone in Whitecliff that was carrying instructions and quite a bit of coin.” As the two were talking, the Outsider saw someone else approaching from behind Bennet. A man in heavy thudding boots, and a very tall hat.

 

A pistol was removed from its holster, and the man aimed right at the Outsider. Eris reacted faster than he did, yanking Bennet’s arm, moving him into the line of the pistol shot. The man paused for a moment, then fired anyway. Bennet howled in pain, falling forward onto Eris, who struggled to hold him up. She turned to the Outsider.

 

“Jump! Overboard!” He saw her take out one of her smaller knives and throw it. The captain dropped his gun, cursing and clutching his hand.

 

“Now! Move!” The Outsider hesitated just a moment more before running and jumping over the railing. Wiping water out of his eyes, he looked up to see Eris give way under Bennet’s weight, and both of them toppled over, disappearing beneath the waves. Timid followed his master with a loud bark. Just as he reached the spot they had gone under, Eris broke the surface with a gasp, hauling Bennet up by the collar of his shirt.

 

“Here, hold onto Timid’s fur, he’ll be able to keep you afloat. We have to make it to shore.” Gunfire sounded above them, and a bullet pierced the water a few feet away from them. The captain was screaming for his men to get into the boats and bring them back to the ship. Blood pooled in the water around Bennet. Then they heard the sound of the second ship start its engines.

 

Eris reached out and grabbed onto the Outsider’s arm, and he felt that uncomfortable feeling of someone using magic on him. There was swirling, and then he was being dumped face first onto the beach. She was gone again, then reappearing with Timid and Bennet. The man retched into the sand, which was turning crimson beneath him. Eris pulled the Outsider to his feet, then moved to the large man groaning on the ground.

 

“Come on Bennet, no time to rest.”

 

The Outsider followed the two humans, Timid trailing beside him. They had just made it to the scrubby grass that grew at the edge of the beach when the air in front of them shimmered. Eris released Bennet, who crashed into the ground with another groan. A woman appeared before them, the almost invisible portal shimmering behind her. She curtsied and then addressed the Outsider.

 

“Amelia bids you welcome to Bastillian my lord. She humbly requests that you return with me to her residence.” Eris looked between the Outsider and the woman, daggers drawn.

 

“It’s alright, Amelia is the woman we came here to see.”

 

“How did she know we were here? It could be another trap.”

 

“Foresight is one of her gifts. She saw us coming.” Eris scoffed as the Outsider moved toward the woman who had not straightened from her curtsy.

 

“Hopefully she is better at whatever else you need her to do, because her foresight is terrible.” The woman who worked for Amelia snapped her eyes up, glaring at Eris. When the Outsider made eye contact, she dropped her head again.

 

Decision made, he strode forward, leaving Eris and Bennet to follow them or figure out another way into the city. When he passed through the portal, Amelia was standing there waiting for him, several of her house staff standing behind her, bowing low. The Outsider let a small smirk escape. Now they could begin.


End file.
